


Trapped

by liz_mo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Suicidal Thoughts, just a breath though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:19:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7741378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liz_mo/pseuds/liz_mo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke is trapped and feels decidedly sorry for himself. When help comes, it gets even more confusing...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trapped

**Author's Note:**

> As ever, thank you, to the bestest Beta in the world, genteelrebel!  
> This trope, you people. It has snatched me up and swallowed me whole. I haven't read this much Gen(!) ever since I discovered Fandom. Inspired by such wonderful contributions to this particular trope like http://archiveofourown.org/works/4837094/chapters/11078918
> 
> Here's mine.

Luke Skywalker was dying. 

At least he was pretty sure this was what dying felt like.  
His near-misses before had left him no time to actually think much about it.  
They had been filled with adrenaline, determination and, yes, fear but he hadn't had hours to ponder. After the fact he usually had been too relieved to dwell on his sheer dumb luck – or the Force? - saving him. 

Again.

Now though, death would be slow and Luke was terrified. He had always imagined that he would die in battle, either by a blaster bolt or exploding into space with his X-wing.  
Slowly bleeding to death had not been his plan.  
The wound in his arm where the piece of broken glass had pierced him was not that serious but it was bleeding quite heavily. If he could have received medical care the wound would be closing already.  
As it was, Luke had no way of even reaching over with his other hand to try and staunch the bleeding, lying on his back with his legs and lower body stuck under what seemed like half the building.

Of course, that was his own stupid fault. Stupid, to think he could move the rock that had originally fallen on him without bringing the whole building down. Oh, he had moved the rock with the Force.  
Slowly but surely, Luke had managed to shift it so he could start to crawl out from underneath it. Just as he had one final push left to tug his remaining foot free, a loud grinding noise followed by a screech had preceded the walls and the rest of the ceiling caving in.

Instinctively, Luke had curled up into a ball and maybe shielded himself with the Force as well. When the noise ceased, he was still alive but still thoroughly stuck. There was no way he could shift all that rubble with the Force. He was nowhere near strong enough. Vader probably...

No.

Still, since Luke had lost his comlink on his flight from the explosion, he had no way of contacting anyone who might be willing to rescue him. He was glad the small rebel commando he had accompanied had managed to destroy the weapon’s factory. It was a modest victory against the Empire but a victory nonetheless. The last thing he had heard, shortly after he had been separated from them, had sounded like they were trying to reach him but couldn't. That had been hours ago. Considering the whole factory was between them and the Empire would have received word of the explosion by now, Luke didn't hold much hope that that would change anytime soon. 

Which led back to him dying.

Not being able to move, blood trickling out of the wound, a heavy headache and dizziness probably due to concussion, and fatigue, caused Luke's natural optimism to trickle away with each passing minute. That he would die here, like this, with no hope of rescue threw Luke in a well of self-pity and despair. Who would rescue him here?

He might have called out to the Force when the ceiling came down but Luke hoped he had not. Because the only one to hear him would be... 

No.

Luke giggled a bit hysterically. Ever since he had destroyed the Death Star there had been a price on his head.  
Alive.  
Well, the Emperor and Vader would have a hard time capturing him now.

Luke shivered. A chill slowly crept up along his spine and his headache was getting worse.  
Sluggishly Luke wondered if that was from blood loss and how much he would start to hallucinate before the end. 

The ground shook and Luke's fear spiked as the rubble on top of him shifted. Pain shot through his right leg and he wondered if it was crushed.  
Maybe he should help things along and try to shift the debris more so he would be crushed quickly and not fade in this agony.  
Maybe there would be more after explosions and things would take care of itself.

The ground kept shaking though and the cold started spreading, numbing the pain where it touched.  
It also made Luke feel curiously safe and warm. The contradiction was very confusing.  
The shaking ground had taken on a rhythmic quality that kept getting louder and coming closer. Luke's headache had cleared enough for him to realise that this wasn't a series of explosions.  
It seemed someone was coming to rescue him.

The shaking stopped at the same time Luke realised the cold feeling was familiar.  
Dread settled low into his stomach. Suddenly, bleeding to death seemed preferable.  
A slash of the light sabre would be quick but the bounty on his head was for him alive which didn't imply a quick death.  
But he had to see, even if it might be the last thing he did.

Luke twisted around as much as he was able to and craned his neck, when he heard the snap-hiss of an igniting light sabre temporarily superimposing the tell-tale sound of the respirator. 

Darth Vader stood a few feet away, his cape dusty at the edges, the red blade pointing to the ground.  
His head was tilted upwards towards the mountain of rubble that had landed on Luke, then it turned down to look at Luke to where the shard of glass was sticking out of Luke's upper arm. It seemed he was assessing the predicament Luke had landed himself in.  
Luke was absolutely sure the blood loss was making him delirious or he would have sworn he could feel a huge wave of relief chased by dark amusement wash over him.  
Darth Vader strode forward again and Luke closed his eyes trying not to wonder how much it would hurt.  
They snapped open again when the edge of the cape brushed against the side of his head.  
Darth Vader was standing right next to him, one hand flung out, the red blade slicing through the slab that kept Luke trapped and at the same time keeping him from being crushed by the mountain of rubble on top of it.  
Luke had to suppress another giggle.  
It seemed he had been right. Vader was able to move all of it with the Force.  
It also seemed, he really, really wanted Luke alive or he wouldn't expend this much effort.  
Luke couldn't help but be impressed by the show of strength and mastery over the Force. If he hadn't been able to feel how much the Dark side was used for this, he might even...

No. 

As soon as Luke felt the pressure on his legs lift, he scrambled backwards as much as he could. He didn’t get far before his strength left him though. Getting up was something Luke didn't want to think about just yet.  
The black mask turned towards him, probably gauging the distance Luke had managed to crawl, and finding it lacking. The next thing Luke knew was him being shoved further away by the Force.  
His confusion was mounting. Wanting him captured alive and actively keeping him from harm were two very different things.  
Luke knew the confusion was probably showing on his face, and he wasn't so sure he was delirious this time when the wave of dark amusement and relief rolled over him again.  
Luke did know that he had no chance of fighting anything Vader wanted to do to him.

The red blade was extinguished and Vader let the rubble collapse onto itself.  
Luke threw up a hand to protect himself from the cloud of dust rising from the debris and when he had stopped coughing and lowered his hand again, Vader was standing right next to him without any more dust covering the edge of his cloak than before.  
He was staring at Luke so intensely, Luke could not move and had no idea what to even say.

What did Vader want from him?

Slowly, Vader extended a black gloved hand towards him. It took Luke's scrambled brain a moment to realise Vader meant for him to take it to pull him to his feet.  
But Luke knew, there was no way for him to get up even with that help.  
Neither of them had spoken yet and Luke was loath to break the weird silence. He wasn't even sure his voice would work. The adrenaline his body had managed to produce was wearing off and Luke felt weary. The cold – Vader? - was still numbing the pain and dizziness but even so Luke felt himself slipping towards unconsciousness. He really hoped Vader understood that he didn't take the proffered hand not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't.  
The thought of “Why would I want to?” didn't quite manage to register.

Vader's breathing pattern was interrupted by a strange sound which Luke couldn't quite interpret. Had that been a sigh?  
Before Luke could react to that thought, Vader had stooped down, put a hand underneath Luke's knees and shoulders and hoisted him up into his arms.  
Luke was so surprised he didn't even think about struggling. Instead, he realised a moment later, he had leant his head against the black armour and relaxed.  
He also felt quite...safe.  
Luke should be worried about that, he knew. But he was so very tired.  
And impossibly, unexpectedly still alive.  
The questions - Why did Vader want him alive? Why was he being .. gentle? Why did Luke feel so safe? Why? - could wait.

Luke closed his eyes. He brushed against the cold that was still enveloping him and he was now as sure as he could be, represented Vader in the Force.  
There was a stutter in Vader's breathing and the grip on Luke tightened.  
Luke couldn't help the smile slipping out and again felt that wave of dark amusement. It seemed he wasn't hallucinating after all. 

Huh.

There was nothing he could do right now though, Luke realised.  
Death didn't seem to be forthcoming any time soon either.  
Pressing closer, Luke released his tenuous hold on consciousness and slipped into the waiting darkness.


End file.
